Set B

Egyptian mathmatics

History of Egyptian mathmatics

Egyptian mathematics was developed and used in Ancient Egypt from ca. 3000 BC to ca. 300 BC. Written evidence of the use of mathematics dates back to at least 3000 BC with the ivory labels found at Tomb Uj at Abydos. These labels appear to have been used as tags for grave goods and some are inscribed with numbers.[ Further evidence of the use of the base 10 number system can be found on for instance the Narmer Macehead which depicts offerings of 400,000 oxen, 1,422,000 goats and 120,000 prisoners.[ The evidence of the use of mathematics in the Old Kingdom (ca 26902180 BC) is scarce, but can be deduced from for instance inscriptions on a wall near a mastaba in Meidum which gives guidelines for the slope of the mastaba.[The lines in the diagram are spaced at a distance of one cubit and show the use of that unit of measurement.[ The earliest true mathematical documents date to the 12th dynasty (ca 19901800 BC). The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus, theEgyptian Mathematical Leather Roll, the Lahun Mathematical Papyri which are a part of the much larger collection of Kahun Papyri and the Berlin Papyrus all date to this period. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus which dates to the Second Intermediate Period (ca 1650 BC) is said to be based on an older mathematical text from the 12th dynasty.

History of Egyptian mathmatics

The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus and Rhind Mathematical Papyrus are so-called mathematical problem texts. They consist of a collection of problems with solutions. These texts may have been written by a teacher or a student engaged in solving typical mathematics problems.[ An interesting feature of Ancient Egyptian mathematics is the use of unit fractions. The Egyptians used some special notation for fractions such as and and in some texts for , but other fractions were all written as unit fractions of the form or sums of such unit fractions. Scribes used tables to help them work with these fractions. The Egyptian Mathematical Leather Roll for instance is a table of unit fractions which are expressed as sums of other unit fractions. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus and some of the other texts contain tables. These tables allowed the scribes to rewrite any fraction of the form as a sum of unit fractions. During the New Kingdom (ca 15501070 BC) mathematical problems are mentioned in the literary Papyrus Anastasi I, and the Papyrus Wilbour from the time of Ramesses III records land measurements. In the worker's village of Deir elMedina several ostraca have been found that record volumes of dirt removed while quarrying the tombs.

Numerals in Egyptian mathmatics

Ancient Egyptian texts could be written in either hieroglyphs or in Hieratic. In either representation the number system was always given in base 10. number 1 was depicted by a simple stroke, number 2 was represented by two strokes, number 10 is a hobble for cattle, number 100 is represented by a coiled rope, number 1000 is represented by a lotus flower, number 10,000 is represented by a finger, number 100,000 is represented by a frog a million was represented by a god with his hands raised in adoration.

Hieroglyphics for Egyptian numerals

fractions in Egyptian mathmatics

The Egyptians almost exclusively used fractions of the form 1/n. One notable exception is the fraction 2/3 which is frequently found in the mathematical texts. Very rarely a special glyph was used to denote 3/4. 1. The fraction 1/2 was represented by a glyph that may have depicted a piece of linen folded in two. 2. The fraction 2/3 was represented by the glyph for a mouth with 2 (different sized) strokes. 3. The rest of the fractions were always represented by a mouth super-imposed over a number.

Hieroglyphics for some Egyptian fractions

Multiplication and division

Egyptian multiplication was done by repeated doubling of the number to be multiplied (the multiplicand), and choosing which of the doublings to add together (essentially a form of binary arithmetic), a method that links to the Old Kingdom. The multiplicand was written next to the figure 1; the multiplicand was then added to itself, and the result written next to the number 2. The process was continued until the doublings gave a number greater than half of the multiplier. Then the doubled numbers (1, 2, etc.) would be repeatedly subtracted from the multiplier to select which of the results of the existing calculations should be added together to create the answer.[2] As a short cut for larger numbers, the multiplicand can also be immediately multiplied by 10, 100, etc. For example, Problem 69 on the Rhind Papyrus (RMP) provides the following illustration, as if Hieroglyphic symbols were used (rather than the RMP's actual hieratic script).[5]

Algebra in Egyptian mathmatics

Egyptian algebra problems appear in both the Rhind mathematical papyrus and the Moscow mathematical papyrus as well as several other sources.[5] Aha in hieroglyphs Aha problems involve finding unknown quantities (referred to as Aha) if the sum of the quantity and part(s) of it are given. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus also contains four of these type of problems. Problems 1, 19, and 25 of the Moscow Papyrus are Aha problems. For instance problem 19 asks one to calculate a quantity taken 1 and times and added to 4 to make 10.[5] In other words, in modern mathematical notation we are asked to solve the linear equation: Solving these Aha problems involves a technique called Method of false position. The technique is also called the method of false assumption. The scribe would substitute an initial guess of the answer into the problem. The solution using the false assumption would be proportional to the actual answer, and the scribe would find the answer by using this ratio.[5] The mathematical writings show that the scribes used (least) common multiples to turn problems with fractions into problems using integers. The multiplicative factors were often recorded in red ink and are referred to as Red auxiliary numbers.[5] The use of the Horus eye fractions shows some (rudimentary) knowledge of geometrical progression. Knowledge of arithmetic progressions is also evident from the mathematical sources.[5

Geometry in Egyptian mathmatics

1. We only have a limited number of problems from ancient Egypt that concern geometry. Geometric problems appear in both the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus (MMP) and in the Rhind MathematicalPapyrus (RMP). 2. The examples demonstrate that the Ancient Egyptians knew how to compute areas of several geometric shapes and the volumes of cylinders and pyramids.

Geometry in Egyptian mathmatics

Area: Triangles: The scribes record problems computing the area of a triangle (RMP and MMP). Rectangles: Problems regarding the area of a rectangular plot of land appear in the RMP and the MMP. A similar problem appears in the Lahun Mathematical Papyri in London. Circles: Problem 48 of the RMP compares the area of a circle (approximated by an octagon) and its circumscribing square. This problem's result is used in problem 50, where the scribe finds the area of a round field of diameter 9 khet. Hemisphere: Problem 10 in the MMP finds the area of a hemisphere.

Geometry in Egyptian mathmatics

Volumes: Cylindrical granaries: Several problems compute the volume of cylindrical granaries (RMP 41-43), while problem 60 RMP seems to concern a pillar or a cone instead of a pyramid. It Is rather small and steep, with a seked (slope) of four palms (per cubit). In section IV.3 of the Lahun Mathematical Papyri the volume of a granary with a circular base is found is using the same procedure as RMP 43. Rectangular granaries: Several problems in the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus (problem 14) and in the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus (numbers 44, 45, 46) compute the volume of a rectangular granary. Truncated pyramid (frustum): The volume of a truncated pyramid is computed in MMP 14.

Geometry in Egyptian mathmatics

The Seqed Problem 56 of the RMP indicates an understanding of the idea of geometric similarity. This problem discusses the ratio run/rise, also known as the seqed. Such a formula would be needed for building pyramids. In the next problem (Problem 57), the height of a pyramid is calculated from the base length and the seked (Egyptian for slope), while problem 58 gives the length of the base and the height and uses these measurements to compute the seqed. In Problem 59 part 1 computes the seqed, while the second part may be a computation to check the answer: If you construct a pyramid with base side 12 [cubits] and with a seqed of 5 palms 1 finger; what is its altitude?

The similarities between Egyptian

Mathematics and Babylonian mathematics
1. The similarities between Egyptian Mathematics and Babylonian mathematics are that both cultures created a form of Algebra, and a form of Geometry. 2. Mesopotamian and Egyptian, mathematical systems were very much alike, and the combinations of both math systems have created the modern systems of today. 3. Even though the systems were alike, what they looked like were very different. The Mesopotamians number system had more triangles, where the Egyptians number system has more lines and distinct shapes.

Egyptian Mathematics
1. 2. 3. 4. The Egyptians used a decimal (base 10) system with 1,000,000 as the biggest unit. They used measurements such as (9 deben or 91 grams or 3.2 ounces). They did arithmetic problems such as addition and subtraction, into which multiplication and division was made. Fractions were usually thought of as 2/3 and 3/4 had 195 as the numerator: This changed to 7/32 was thought of as 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 (using 32 as the lowest common denomonator). Geometry was basically an experiment rather than from a theory. The theory touched an astonishing correction in its answers to a calculations. The Egyptians could calculate the area of a square, trapezoid, triangle and a circle by squaring 8/9 of the diameter, and the height and the angles of a pyramid. Even the volume of a cylinder and a cut off piece of a pyramid were able to be calculated!

5.

Babylonian mathematics
1. The Babylonian had an advanced system than our own system. It was a system with base 60, instead of the base 10 system of today. The base sixty is the origin of the use of time (60 seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour. The Babylonians were the ones to come up with the twenty-four hour day, and sixty minutes in one hour. This way of counting has been in existence for over four thousand years now. They give squares of the numbers up to fifty nine and cubes of the numbers up to thirty two. Babylonians counting was complicated because it didn't start like our system one, two, three, four, etc.., Their system went one, sixty-one, three thousand and one, one hundred and fifty thousand and one, seven million five fundred thousands and one, and three hundred and seventy five million and one etc. Babylonians used the formula ab= ((a+b) squared- 4- b squared) multiplied by 14. Division is harder, and the Babylonians didn't have an algorithm for long division, instead they based their system on facts that ab-a.

2.

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BABYLONIAN NUMERATION SYSTEM

The Babylonian system was a positional, base 60 system:

Their system had two basic symbols. A units symbol

A tens symbol

Here is an example of a number written in Babylonian:

5x602 + 4x601 + 12x600 = 18000 + 240 + 12 = 18,252

Problom solving in Egyptian Mathematics

Aha Problems in Egyptian Mathematics Aha is an egyptian word meaning quantity. Aha problems were problems to compute an unknown quantity. Today these problems would be solved with algebra, but then they were solved using 'false position', a rhetorical method of solving certain algebra problems. Several Papyri containing collections of arithemetic and aha problems, together with their solutions, have been found Sample problem: A quantity and its fifth, added together, give 23. What is the quantity? Solution by false position: Suppose the quantity is 5. Then add a fifth to get 6. Now do the same thing to 5 and 6 until 6 turns into 23. Like multiply 6 by . So the answer is 5= = . Solution by algebra: Let x be the quantity. So x + x = 23. Solving for x gives x = 23.

The End

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